in the form of God] Either in the nature and effence of God, being very God, as the ancient Fathers generally expound the word 〈in non-Latin alphabet 〉here used; or in the state, that is, glory and majestie of God, appearing no otherwise, neither to Angels, nor to men, then as God in Divine glory and majestie.
not robbery] It was his right by nature (See John 5:8.) to be equall with God, and therefore the challenging it, could be no usurpation of anothers right, or taking to himself, that which was not his own: A like phrase is used in the Syriack rituall, where when Christ came to John to be baptized of him, John answereth, 〈in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is, I cannot commit a robbery by taking that upon me which belongeth not to me.